Weeder



June 3, 1930.-

J. WICKER WEEDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May-14, 1929 JNVENTOR. 1.75M W003i?! June 3 1930. I WICKER 1,761,001

WEEDER Filed May 14, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR..

BY ATTORNEY.

Patented June 3, 19 39 p y i r I J W EB'i F P AQ E'ViTASIIhTGTOrI f i i if v v I LWEE ER' 7 Application ,fi le d jMay '14, 1E i29. S eri a1 No. 36331 7. I The invention relates to weeders-of the In the d i riding and wheel supported type, and has Figure lis a side elevation ofjthe weeding for its objectto provide'a device'of this charmachine.

acter wherein a frame is pivotallyconnected F igure2 is a top plan view of the a to the forward end of the dev1ce,,-and pro- ,chme. Y y a 55 vlded with ground engaglng runners arcu- Flgure 3 1s a vertical transverse sectional ately shaped in relationtotheir pivotal points viewthroug h the forward end of the machine whereby a rotatabfle-cutter reel carriedby the taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2. runners may be varied in relation to the Figure fie a rear elevation of the pivoted ground uponpivotalmovement of the pivoted frame, showing the same detached from the frame. r r main frame of the deviceto better illustrate A further object is to provide the pivoted the structure. y i j I frame with an extension member, the outer Figure 5 is a view in elevation of'theex .end of which is provided with downwardly tensible driv h ft, I

extending spaced arms between which'mesh- Referring to the drawings; the numeral -1 i ing gears are rotatablymounted. Also to designates the horizontal frame of.;,the maprovide a rotatable shaft in said arms and -ch 1ne, whichframe -preferab1y;tapcrStowa d on which one f id gears: i nted, a its rear end and is supported at ;its :rear end ground engaging wheelcarried :by the outer y Conventlonal r of Plvoted Caster 29 endof the shaft and an extensible jshaft Wheel 2.- PPP T Hb I the fi d-" 7o having one of its ends universally connected ilam 1 1 a Se 3 a apted to be occupied to the other r and its OthenenduniVGrsally by the operator for controlllng the weeder connected to the cutter reel, thereby allowfas 1t moved F theigpround 11131137511115 ins: pivotal movement of the pivoted frame l manner, fl e vtm r r raf and obviating close adju m t of parts; animals, applicant not ihmltmg hlmsellf' m ,A further object is to provide the pivoted -=fl11s9part1eulan T m "PrefgmblY .c formed from bars 4 and 5, which bars have frameibar wlth an extension member prefer f 1 d d d I b l thereto andiihavin limited lelvr olwar connecte toget ml y y Plvotec y a v channel bar 6. Pivotally-con-nected.at7 to so m nt a fight angle bracket f g one the forward sideof the channelbar 6 is the 5 Gifts f r- Secured tofhe di -P $1018 of t movable frame 8 which frame .iSCOI1trolled entenslon member and its other arm extend in its pivotal movemntyby means ofarms 9 g downwardly hr w m the nd i h and 10 extending upwardly anddownwardly extension member a a ushered bracket h ng- 21 11, and by the pivoted lever 12 35 having its-transverse portion secured tothe h i li k c n ti 13 ith th arms 9 under sideof the extension member wlth one ,and 10,jtherefore it will be seen that theoper- :of its arms spaced from the downwardly eX-' ator may pivotallymove the frame Sas the Tending arm of the first mentioned bracket, m.achine ;moves over the ground, and said and bO ClIOfltS arms forming spacedbearing fl W111 be held i 1 "M10115 diu ed supports for the wheele'a'rried shaft. t o r y m an 0 th Mg 1d, WhIQh 'QQQJQQT- 9o With theabove andother objects in -vieW ates wlthfhe't'oothedsegment ethe inventionr'esides in the combination and a y 1 f p arrangement-of partsas hereinafter setforth, f 6 r-. fh we 7 M a an extension barl6, wh1ch bar 1s preferably 45 wn d drawmgs? descnbed secured by means ofplates E17 and may have m mg il l th hd 1n alimited downward pivotalmovemen-t; The -P P b 9 i th I Y m Y extension :bar 16 extends beyond the side of V be made within the scope of what 1 1s claim d the frame 1 and supports ;the .ground engagwithout-depart ng from the spirittof the 11m ing Wheel '18 which operates the cutter :niedh- 56 lt i v anism{hereinaftensetforth I CJI Secured to the upper side of the extension bar 16 by means of rivets 19 is the arm 20 of a right angularly shaped bracket, the arm 21 of which extends downwardly adjacent the ground engaging wheels 18. Secured by means of rivets 19 to the underside of the extension 16 is U-shaped'hracket 22 having its arms 23 and 24 in spaced relation to each other and the arm 24: in spaced relation to the arm 21 of the bracket 20, but in parallel relation thereto. Rotatably mounted in bear ings of the arms 21, 24 and 23 is a horizontal shaft 25, on the outer end of which is mounted a ground engaging .wheel 18. By providing the ll-shaped bracket 22, it is obvious a two point bearing is provided for the shaft, thereby bracing the same. Shaft 25 has mounted thereon between the arms 21 and 24 an operating gear 26, which gear meshes with the gear 27, also disposed be tween the arms 21 and and provided with a shaft 28, the ends of which are rotatably mounted in bearings of said arms. It will be seen that as the machine moves over the ground, the ground engaging wheel l l will are forwardly, downwardly and rearwardly curve-d spaced runners 29, which runners engage the ground during the weed cutting operation, and it will be seen by adjusting or pivotally moving the frame 8, the rotatable cutter reel 30, mounted on the end 31 of the runners, may be adjusted in relation to, the ground for regulating the cut or raised asubstantial' distance from the ground when transporting the, device from place to place. By referring to Figure 1, it will benoted that upon extreme rotation or pivotal movement of the frame in one direction, the ground ongaging wheel 18 will be raised out of engagement with the ground.

Universally connected at to the short shaft 28 is an extension rod 33, the other end of which has a universal connection 3% to the cutter reel 30, therefore it will be seen that as the device moves over the ground with. the ground engaging wheel in engagement with the ground, rotation will be imparted to the cutter reel for cutting weeds,

and t 1e operator by simply manipulating the control lever may pivotally move the runners 29 downwardly for raising the ground engaging wheel 18 out of engagement with the ground for stopping the rotation of the cutter reel, therefore it will be seen that the cutter reel will be under control at all'times, and if so desired, he operator may manipulate the pivoted frame 8 in a manner whereby the distance between the cutter reel and the ground may be varied for varying the length of thecut of the weeds. The extensible shaft 33 comprises a rectangular portion 35, which is slidably mounted in a rectangular shaped bore 36 in a sleeve 37, therefore it will be seen that an angular driving connection is provided between the gear 27 and cutter reel 30, which will accommodate itself to the various positions of the parts in relation to each other and to variations incident to manufacture or use of the device. The runners 29 are preferably braced by U-shaped brace 38, having its armsv anchored to the inner sides of the runners and its transverse portion an chored to the underside of the bar 11.

From the above it will be seen that a weed cutting machine is provided which is simple in construction, the parts reduced to a minimum and one wherein a cutter reel is driven by a ground engaging wheel, which wheel may be easily and quickly placed in engagement with the ground for operating the cutter reel as desired.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A weed cutting machine comprising a main frame, wheel means for supporting the rear end of said main frame, a pivoted reel carrying frame carried by the forward end of the main frame, said reel carrying frame comprising runner members curving forwardly, downwardlyand rearwardly, a rotatable cutter reel carried by the rear end of the runners, a ground engaging wheel carried by one side of the reel frame and outside the runners and driving connections between the ground engaging wheel and the reel.

2. A weed cutting machine comprising a main horizontal frame, a ground engaging wheel at the rear end of said frame, a reel carrying frame pivotally connected to the forward end-0f the main frame, said reel carrying frame comprising a transverse bar, runners carried'by the bar, said runners curving forwardly, downwardly and rearwardly beneath the bar, said runners terminating rearwardly of the bar, a cutter reel carried by the rearvends of the runners, one end of said bar extending beyond the side of the main frame, a downwardly extending bracket carried by said last named end of the bar, a ground engaging wheel carried by said bracket and driving connections between said ground engaging wheel and the cutter reel.

3. A weed cutting machine comprising a main wheel supported frame, a reel carrying pivoted frame carried by the forward end of the main frame, ground engaging runners carried bythe pivoted frame and curving forwardly and downwardly and rearwardly, a cutter wheel rotatably mounted on said runners,a ground engaging wheel carried by the pivoted frame, driving connections between the ground e-ngagin g wheel and the reel and control means for pivotally moving the pivoted frame.

LA weed cutting machine comprising a horizontally disposed frame, a ground engaging wheel carried by the rear endof the frame, a pivoted frame carried by the for ward end of the main frame, said pivoted frame having arcuately shaped ground engaging runners, a reel carried by said runners, a ground engaging wheelcarried by the pivoted frame, driving connections between said last named ground engaging wheel and the reel, said wheel and runners being shaped whereby upon pivotal movement of the frame 7 in one direction the wheel be moved into engagement with the ground for imparting rotation to the reel and upon pivotalmovement in opposite direction said runners. will be moved into engagement with the ground and the wheel out of engagement with the ground. a

5. A weed cutting machine comprising a main frame, a pivoted frame carried by the forward end of the main frame, arcuately shaped runners carried by the pivoted frame and adapted to engage the ground, means for pivotally moving the pivoted frame, a ground engaging wheel carried by the pivoted frame, a cutter reel carried by the runners, the ground engaging wheel having a driving connection with the reel, said runners extending beyond the periphery of the ground engaging wheel at one position wherebyupon pivotal movement of the pivoted frame in one direction the ground engaging wheel may be forced out of engageinent with the ground or upon pivotal movement in the opposite ,GOl

oted frame, downwardlyextending spaced" arms carried by said extension bar, a shaft carried by the ground engaging wheel and rotatably mounted in bearings of thearms, a

countershaft rotatably mounted in bearingsof the arms, drive gear connections between ing universal connection to the countershaft and the reel.

In testimony whereof he hereunto aflixes his signature.

- JOHN VICKER.

direction said wheel willbe movedinto en- I gagement with the ground. i i

6. A weed cutter comprising a main frame, a pivoted runner supported reel frame, a ground engaging drive wheel for the reel mounted on the pivoted reelframe, said runner supported frame being shaped whereby upon pivotal movement of-the pivotedframe the ground engaging wheel can be placed in engagement with the ground or raised out of engagementwith theground.

7. A weed cutting machine comprising a main frame, a pivoted framecarried by said main frame, ground engaging runner supports for said pivoted frame, a reel carried by said pivotedframe, driving connections between said ground engagingwheel and the reel, said driving connections comprising a shaft carried by the wheei,a countershaft beneath the first mentioned shaft, gear connections between said shafts, a drive shaft connection between the eountershaft and the reel, said drive shaft having its ends-universally connected to the countershaft and the reel. y

8. A weed cutting machine comprising a main frame, a pivoted frame carried by said main frame, ground engaging runner supports for said pivoted frame, a reel carried by said pivoted frame, means for driving said reel from the ground engaging wheel, said means comprising an extension bar extending outwardly from one side of the piv 

